This assignment is due by Feb. 13.
Write at least
500 words reflecting on the question below. Students can do
this assignment individually or in groups of two or three students
(students who do this assignment in groups will turn in only
one paper together).
Almost everyone in our class has stated that UCLA students need
to learn from the experiences of immigrant workers, especially
from those who are involved in struggles such as at Assi Market.
However, in class we‘ve also seen that learning and teaching
are interactive processes. For example, activists such as Tony
Osumi and Alison Delacruz show that teaching and learning are
linked together and revolve around social interactions.
By growing up in a Western society, we’ve all learned
(both consciously and subconsciously) to conceptualize teaching
and learning as separate things — i.e., that teachers “teach” while
students “learn” (and not vice-versa), and a person
cannot teach and learn at the same time.
Three decades ago, when students and community activists created
the field of Asian American Studies, they created an approach
to education very different from that of mainstream (i.e., Western)
society. They emphasized the need for students to learn from
their communities, especially from low-income immigrant workers
and others whom universities do not classify as teachers. In
addition, they emphasized the importance of students giving back
to their communities — i.e., sharing what they learned
from classes in Asian American Studies with others in their communities.
In other words, the founding mission of Asian American Studies
defined students as both learners and teachers in relation to
the communities that nurtured them.
Currently, in our own class, students understand the need to
learn from the experiences of Assi workers around critical issues
such as race relations, leadership development, globalization,
etc. But students also need to think about what they, as students,
can “teach” immigrant workers in our communities.
UCLA students especially must remember that classes in Asian
American Studies are still rare and only found in elite institutions,
mainly on the West Coast. Not many community colleges have classes
in Asian American Studies, even though community colleges are
where most Asian American college students are found. There are
very few high school classes in Asian American Studies and probably
no such classes in elementary schools and adult schools. There
are also no classes in Asian American Studies offered by community
groups, churches, probation halls, prisons, etc. How can UCLA
students fill this void? If we believe that knowledge is too
important to stay in the classroom, how can we bring Asian American
Studies back to our communities? Also, as we’ve learned
throughout this quarter, teaching others about Asian American
Studies does not mean giving lectures, assigning readings, etc. — like
in a traditional classroom. Teaching and learning can take many
forms.
Question: Now that almost every student in our class emphasizes
the importance of learning from Assi workers, what can students “teach” Assi
workers in turn? How can you, as a UCLA student, share knowledge
from this class and other classes in Asian American Studies with
immigrant workers? What are specific ways (other than lectures
and readings) that you can carry out this mission?
